Vehicle-top.



No. 677,346 Patented July 2; 1904.

w. J. ESTES.

VEHICLE TOP.

c tinfi 10 ZApph a 0 led Dec. 1900.)

(No Model.)

' l 1mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"WILLIAM J. ESTES, OF SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

VEHICLE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,346, dated July 2, 1901.

Application filed December 10, 1900. Serial No. 39,417. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. ESTES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shawnee, in the county of Pottawatomie and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Top, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-tops and has for its object to provide improved means for mounting the top, so that the sides of the vehicle-seat will be free from obstructions, and also to provide for conveniently supporting the top in its elevated and lowered positions. It is furthermore designed to dispense with the usual plurality of hinged joints in the common bows and top-prop and to reduce the hinged or foldable connections to a minimum, so as to provide a strong and durable device.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a vehicle-body provided with the improved top. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the top in its lowered position.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawlugs.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a vehicle-body having an ordinary transverse seat 2, which is provided with an upstanding back 3. Located normally above the seat is a suitable top 4, of any preferred form, which is supported by the opposite standards 5. Each standard has a substantially straight intermediate portion, the ends of which are directed forwardly, so as to form the top and bottom arms 6 and '7. The top arm is connected to the top 4 in any suitable manner, and the bottom arm extends forwardly across the adjacent seat-riser 8 and has its extremity pivotally connected to the riser or the body of the vehicle, as indicated at 9, so that the standard may be swung down wardlyand rearwardly to its lowered position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be observed that the bottom arm extends across the outer side of the vehicle-body and below the plane of the top of the seat, and the standard is located at the back of the seat, whereby the opposite ends of the latter are unobstructed, which is an important advantage of the present invention.

To hold each standard in its upright position, a detachable fastening is provided between the intermediate portion of the standard and the adjacent end of the back of the seat-as, for instance, by means of a hook 10 and a catch stud or pin 11. As shown in the drawings, the hook is carried by the standard and the catch by the back; but these po= sitions may be interchanged if desired.

To fold or lower the top, the opposite fas tenings are disengaged from the standards and the" latter are thrown backward upon theirpivotalsupports, which are alined transversely of the vehicle. The downward movement of the standards is limited by means of a stop projection or support 12, carried by and projected laterally outward from the rear portion of the respective sides of the vehiclebody. The standards are designed to rest upon the supports when the top is lowered, whereby the standards are in convenient reach from the seat for raising the top when desired.

By having the standards connected to the seat-back they form convenient and effective braces for said back when the top is in its normally elevated position.

From the foregoing description it is appar cut that the number of hinged joints is reducedto one at each side of the top and but two standards are employed, whereby the breakable parts are reduced to the minimum and the greater part of the friction is removed, so as to facilitate the raising and lowering of the top. Moreover, the standards do not rise across the ends of the seat, but are located at the back thereof, so as not to obstruct the ends of the seat, and at the same time the back is braced by the standards, and the latter are always in position for convenient manipulation. By reason of the positive connectionsbetween the standards and the back of the seat it is impossible for the top to be accidentally collapsed or lowered by any jolting of the vehicle in passing over rough roads.

What is claimed'is- 1. The combination with a vehicle-body, and a seat thereon, of. a top, and opposite standards supporting the top, each standard being located in rear of the seat, and having a forwardly-projecting bottom arm, which lies below the seat, and has its outer end pivotally connected to the vehicle-body.

2. The combination with a vehicle-body, and a seat thereon, having a back, of a top, opposite standards pivoted upon the body and supporting the top, and detachable connections between the standards and the adjacent ends of the back.

3. The combination with a vehicle-body, and a seat thereon, having a back, of opposite supporting-standards for the top, and each standard having a lateral arm, which is pivotally connected to the vehicle-body and detachable connections between the standards and the adjacent ends of the back, whereby the standards form braces for the back.

4. The combination with a vehicle-body, and a seat thereon, having a back, of a top, opposite standards therefor, each standard being located at the back of the seat, and having a bottom forwardly-projecting arm,

which lies below the seat, and has its forward end pivoted to the vehicle-body, and a detachable connection between the intermediate portion of each standard and the adjacent end of the back of the seat.

5. A vehicle-top, having opposite pendent supporting-standards, lateral arms projecting in the same direction from the bottoms of the standards, and pivotal connections at the outer ends of the arms and for application to a vehicle-body.

6. A vehicle-top, having opposite pendent supporting-standards, bottom terminal pivotal connections for the respective standards, and intermediate detachable seat-engaging fastenings carried by the standards.

7. The combination with a vehicle-body, having a seat thereon, and a back for the seat, of a top, opposite supporting-standards therefor and pivotally connected to the body at one side of the back, and detachable connections between the standards and the adjacent ends of the back, whereby the stand ards form braces for the back.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM J. ESTES.

Witnesses:

A. O. CLARK, E. S. ESTES.

my own I have hereto affixed my signature in' 

